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EMP Siegfried Muresan (PMP): Romania should absorb 6-6.5 billion euros from EU funds in 2018
EMP Siegfried Muresan - People's Movement Party (PMP), who is also chief negotiator of the European Parliament for EU budget in 2018, said on Wednesday that Romania should absorb European funds of 6.-6.5 billion euros in 2018 and the government should include in the budget the amounts needed to co-finance this objective.
“We last we have accredited management authorities. Institutional premises have been set up. In the meantime, management authorities are accredited, many works were initiated, tenders started, all decisions were made at political level, the green light is given at European level, so I am sure funds will start coming,” Muresan said.
He pointed out that the Bucharest government should foresee in the 2018 budget co-financing shares for European projects, corresponding to the amount of 6-6.5 billion euros, absorbed from EU funds.
At the same time, the Eurodeputy showed that Romania should have high absorption rates in the following years, to make up for delays of past years in accessing funds available through the EU financial exercise 2014-2020, the maximum amount foreseen for Romania being 22 billion euros for that period of time.
”Institutionally speaking, projects have started, more works will start and this is the amount we should absorb every year. We already have a delay, the absorption rate will have to grow over 2020-2023 to avoid losing European funds. Every year we have without highway means higher expenses for economy, for people, it means less investors attracted. So it is not enough for me if the government says the money will be absorbed in 2022. Now we must begin absorbing funds because delaying absorption means delaying the people’s welfare,”Muresan said.
He also pointed out that another remaining question is what is left behind after carrying out projects with EU funds. He warns that European control bodies will be much more attentive from this point of view.
“EU will be more and more attentive in the following years, for added value of every euro spent. Let’s stop building ski runs where there is no snow and swimming pools in sliding areas,” said the PMP Eurodeputy.